Cato (pseudonymous Anti-Federalist writer)

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Cato was the pseudonym of an Anti-Federalist writer who authored influential essays opposing the ratification of the U.S. Constitution and warning against a powerful centralized government.


Statements (46)
Predicate Object
instanceOf Anti-Federalist author
pseudonymous political writer
activeIn late 1780s
advocatesFor decentralized political power
protection of individual liberties
strong state governments
comparedWith Publius (pseudonymous Federalist writer)
concernedWith executive power
representation in a large republic
separation of powers
contextOfWork debates over ratification of the U.S. Constitution
countryOfCitizenship United States of America
era post-American Revolutionary War period
fieldOfWork American political thought
constitutional law
political theory
genre pamphleteering
political commentary
political essay
hasInfluenceOn American constitutional debate
later critiques of federal power
historicalPeriod American Founding Era
influencedBy Roman statesman Cato the Younger
classical republicanism
languageOfWork English
literaryForm newspaper essays
locationOfActivity New York NERFINISHED
mainSubject U.S. Constitution
federal government power
republican government
medium print
movement Anti-Federalism
notableFor arguing that a large republic would endanger liberty
criticizing the proposed U.S. presidency as too powerful
warning against dangers of consolidated national government
notableWork Cato essays
opposedTo ratification of the U.S. Constitution without a bill of rights
strong centralized federal government
partOf Anti-Federalist movement
politicalAlignment Anti-Federalist
positionHeld opponent of U.S. Constitution ratification
pseudonymOf unknown author
publicationType newspapers
usedFor public persuasion during ratification debates
writingStyle persuasive
polemical

Referenced by (1)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Anti-Federalists
hadAlias

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